Folsom Bulldogs Jake Jeffrey (18), runs with the ball near the goal line during the first quarter as the Granite Bay Grizzlies host the Folsom Bulldogs, Friday September 25, 2015.
Brian Baer
Special to The Bee

Folsom Bulldogs Jake Jeffrey (18), runs with the ball near the goal line during the first quarter as the Granite Bay Grizzlies host the Folsom Bulldogs, Friday September 25, 2015.
Brian Baer
Special to The Bee

Folsom Bulldogs middle linebacker Roger Neal has already forgotten his interception and all his tackles Friday night at Granite Bay. His fumble late in the No. 1 Bulldogs’ 27-14 victory over the No. 5 Grizzlies still festered.

Neal also is a bruising runner for the Bulldogs, and with a chance to kill some clock late in the fourth quarter, Neal took a handoff and bowled over two Grizzlies defenders before dropping the ball.

“I was thinking a lot about it there for a while,” Neal said. “It was tough to make a mistake like that. I’m not used to that, but then again, I thought (my knee) was down.”

When you’re used to winning every game and succeeding on every play, mistakes are magnified. Such is life for all 57 Bulldogs as they improved their regular-season unbeaten streak to 37 games and moved to 5-0 on the season and 1-0 in the rough-and-tumble Sierra Foothill League. Granite Bay fell to 3-1 and 0-1 in the SFL.

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Folsom co-coach Kris Richardson said there was never a doubt they’d go back to Neal deep in their territory late in the game with a chance to put it away.

“We pride ourselves on not making key turnovers, and (Roger) will see himself on tape and make the improvement,” Richardson said. “But with a guy like Roger, you’re going to give the ball right back to him.”

Neal stands 5-foot-9, and all 205 pounds of his inertia makes opposing defenders wince when he’s running at them and makes opposing running backs rethink their spot on the depth chart when barrels down on them.

On Granite Bay’s first possession, Neal dropped into the passing lanes in a zone read and intercepted the ball at midfield, returning it to the Grizzlies’ 24-yard line. Five plays later, Bulldogs quarterback Jake Jeffrey ran for a three-yard score, and Folsom later took a 21-0 lead before Granite Bay made things interesting in the second quarter with 14 unanswered points.

I’m glad the coaches had confidence in me (after the fumble). That really helped me out.

Folsom running back-linebacker Roger Neal

But Folsom’s defense is starting to make a name for itself as the Bulldogs’ offense, led again by Jeffrey (touchdown runs of three and five yards and a five-yard scoring strike to Christian Huber), continues to grab headlines and airtime. Neal averages 16 tackles per game, while defensive back Matt Torres cleans up anything that Neal may miss. Torres averages 14 tackles per game.